Is Blood Sugar Higher After Exercise?

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Is Blood Sugar Higher After Exercise?

Exercising is considered to be one of the best options for maintaining health and well-being at all times.

Individuals with blood sugar problems are also advised to maintain a certain level of physical activity in their lives as it helps to manage blood sugar levels.

The question is, can exercising increase blood sugar levels and is it safe to exercise if individuals have high blood sugar levels?

This article aims at understanding blood sugar, blood sugar management, the effects of exercise on blood sugar, and finally understanding if it raises blood sugar levels.

How Do Blood Sugar Levels Rise?

To start with, blood sugar is the presence of sugar molecules in your blood which are absorbed by the body from the foods you eat and different kinds of drinks you consume.

Blood sugar levels are managed by a hormone called insulin. This is why, insulin is important for regulating blood sugar levels.

Now that we know the basic functions of blood sugar, what causes blood sugar levels to rise? It has everything to do with insulin, which is the hormone that controls blood sugar levels.

This hormone is needed for maintaining the levels of sugar molecules present in your blood as it enables the cells to take up sugar molecules for energy production.

Blood sugar levels rise when insulin is not processed effectively by your body or when the body isn't able to produce enough insulin to maintain blood sugar levels.

Hence, one of these causes, or both of them combined is known for increasing blood sugar levels.

What is the Relation Between Blood Glucose and Exercise?

Different kinds of physical activities have different impacts on your blood sugar levels.

This is because different activities may cause an increase in insulin sensitivity due to which the muscles and cells can take up glucose for energy production.

Another thing you need to know is that when you work out the muscles contract and relax during the activity. This helps your cells to take up glucose irrespective of the presence of insulin.

Most individuals who suffer from high levels of blood sugar or people, in general, are recommended to perform different exercises to keep their blood sugar balance levels under control.

Research suggests that physical activity can lower your blood sugar levels for up to 24 hours after your workout.

Additionally, it is suggested that moderate levels of exercise like hike or exercises that need consistent levels of movement can increase the glucose uptake in the cells helping individuals to control their levels of blood sugar effectively.

Hence, it is safe to say that moderate amounts of exercise can help you maintain healthy levels of blood sugar regardless of the health conditions that you suffer from.

Can Exercise Increase Your Blood Sugar Levels?

The body tends to boost the levels of blood glucose to enable energy production and provide you with the energy that you require for performing the activity.

However, exercising may help to increase the uptake of blood glucose as well. Moderate levels of exercise are highly beneficial for individuals with diabetes and high blood sugar levels.

However, there are different cases during which the body can increase blood sugar levels as an effect of exercising.

Here are the different ways which can cause a rise in blood sugar levels after exercising:

Release of lactic acid: The body tends to increase the levels of blood glucose to help it match the levels of energy that you need. Gluconeogenesis is one such process that increases levels of blood glucose in your body. It is nothing but the conversion of lactic acid into glucose so that there is more blood glucose support available for energy production.
Release Of Adrenaline: Sometimes, as a result of excitement the body tends to release adrenaline. This adrenaline signals the liver to increase the release of glucose into the blood. This is another cause of an increase in your blood sugar levels while exercising or carrying out an activity.
Performing Exercises On An Empty Stomach: According to research, performing exercises on an empty stomach can lead to increased levels of blood sugar, especially in the morning. This is because the liver releases glucose along with different hormones in your body and hence can cause spikes in blood sugar levels.
Performing intense exercises: Performing intense exercises, that is, extremely difficult exercises can affect the ability of your muscles to uptake glucose. Additionally, if these exercises cause damage to the muscles the cells of the muscles cannot use insulin effectively which in turn causes spikes in blood sugar levels. Hence, performing intense exercises isn't recommended, especially for people who are not used to them.

Important things to Remember while Performing Exercises:

Perform every exercise in moderation if you suffer from high blood sugar levels or diabetes.
If you feel symptoms that indicate a rise or fall in your blood sugar levels, make sure to stop immediately and get a reading of your blood glucose levels.
Individuals who have extremely high levels of blood sugar or low blood sugar problems must consult a doctor before following workout routines.
Individuals should maintain a routine like pre-workout snacks, workout drinks, and post-workout snacks to make sure that exercising does not hurt their blood sugar levels.
Consult your doctor immediately if you experience extreme spikes in your blood sugar levels after performing an exercise.
Maintain a healthy diet of foods that helps you maintain blood sugar and enables you to perform exercises in moderation.

How much exercise is recommended for individuals with high blood sugar?

According to research exercises of moderate levels like aerobics, walking, and other similar exercises can be done for 150 minutes or more each week.

Additionally, you can also perform strength training routines approximately 2 to 3 times a week.

Strength training enhances your muscle mass and improves the utilization of your blood sugar effectively. This reduces the risk of spikes in blood sugar.

Finally, exercises like sit-ups, push-ups, as well as resistance training are all said to be beneficial for maintaining healthy levels of blood sugar.

Final Thoughts

It is important to exercise regularly irrespective of the health conditions that you have.

Exercising helps your body to perform different functions with accuracy and hence is beneficial for maintaining your overall health.

Additionally, different forms of exercise may have different effects on your blood sugar levels, hence, it is important to know the exercises suitable for you and keep track of different ways in which exercises impact your health.

Monitoring your blood sugar levels after performing exercises can help you understand the trends and choose the right form of activity suitable for you.

And always remember to follow the guidelines provided by your healthcare team and keep them in the loop before taking up any activity or exercise routine.

Along with exercise maintain a healthy diet which allows you to keep your blood sugar balance levels in check.

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Is Blood Sugar Higher After Exercise?